My children were born from the tree. You probably think I’m not human, we are not. Babies dropping from trees to be received into the soft embrace of their parents. In appearance, it might resemble an apple tree with sparse leaves. These are spherical fruits that don’t fall to the ground randomly. A waiting period comes, and then, at the appointed time, subtly the sphere gently detaches from the branch, and the globe floats to the waiting parents. Parents and three agree to communicate through tuition and telepathy. It sounds fairytale-like because people hide sexual things; no, it’s not that humans are ashamed of reproducing. Humans will object to this observation but remember, those are our observations.
You are curious about what I look like; I have fins on my back similar to wings, my skin is light blue, and my form is humanoid. Yes, boot-like shoes cover five fingers, long arms, skinny legs, and feet. Clothes on my body that resemble armor. And I float up; it’s not a unique ability; my species has this attribute. Yoli, that’s one way of calling my people. Yoli, we are people of the trees. Newborns put on a few vast triangular leaves. Also, some of the spheres with babies rest on the leaves like a cushion.
Courtesy of Sergio Souza
We know which of our babies are ours; the Dioro tree aids us. In a dream, a female reclines, hovering; she and the male have the same ecstatic sexual experience as humans but far more profound. Although I said it’s a dream, it’s more accurate to us. The male is suspended in a sitting position extending his arms out. Why? Our biology? I never questioned it; it just is. There are several thousand dreams per tree. Dioro tree communicates to us in our language, guide, and mother. She nurtures our thoughts and feelings as the time comes to raise a family.
Dioro trees reach high up to the clouds. My home is among the circular banyan-like trees surrounding the Dioro tree, which is lower yet firm. To us, it’s a city of trees, quite different from those humans live (reside) in. The rings of trees, a tight community of Yoli, are clannish, not trusting other Yoli. I try to be open-minded, but it doesn’t always work. Yoli communities need to experience more profound diversity of meeting the human, Sedrinaphy, and Aponsis races that have virtues and technologies we don’t have.
